A newly elected McKeesport councilman has been barred from taking office because of a drug conviction from 23 years ago.

A newly elected McKeesport councilman has been barred from taking office because of a drug conviction from 23 years ago.

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Updated: 11:16 PM EST Jan 5, 2016

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WEBVTT STARTS. MIKE C.: BEAU BERMAN JOINS US LIVE WITH HIS ONLY CHANCE TO SAVE HIS JOB. REPORTER: YES, NEW WRINKLES IN THIS POLITICAL CONTROVERSY THAT CONTINUES TO GRAB ATTENTION. WE'VE LEARNED IN THIS CASE THAT CORY SANDERS MAY STILL OWE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN COURT RESTITUTION COSTS ATTACHED TO HIS 1993 DRUG CONVICTION. BUT AT THE SAME TIME TONIGHT WE'RE ALSO HEARING FROM SANDERS THAT THAT PARDON FROM THE GOVERNOR COULD COME WITHIN DAY AFTER CHAOS CANCELED MONDAY NIGHT'S MCKEESPORT CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND PUT FUTUR MEETINGS ON HOLD, NEW DEVELOPMENTS NOW IN THE CASE OF CORY SANDER HE WAS ELECTED IN NOVEMBER, CALLED INTO QUESTION BY TH DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WHICH RULED HIM INELIGIBLE TO SERVE BECAUSE OF A 1993 DRUG CONVICTION. THE D.A. SAYS THE ON WAY HE CAN SERVE IS WITH A PARDON FROM THE GOVERNOR. >> THIS IS BIGGER TH SANDERS, THIS IS OPENING DOORS FOR OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE, OTHER PEOPLE WHO MAY BE TRAVELING INTO A STORM THAT I'VE PASSED THROUGH. REPORTER: SANDERS S SAID TUESDAY THAT HIS ATTORNEY HAS MAILED ALL PAPERWORK TO THE STATE'S BOARD OF PARDONS. THE FIVE-PERSON BOARD WHICH INCLUDES THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND ATTORNEY GENERAL KANE MUST RECOMMEND A PARDON TO THE GOVERNOR BEFORE HE COU EVEN ISSUE ONE. SANDERS SAYS HE WAS TOLD THE PROCESS CAN BE EXPEDITED AND HAPPEN WITHIN MONTHS, WEEKS, EVEN DAYS. WHILE HIS FUTURE IS UNCLEAR, SANDERS THANKS HIS SUPPORTERS AND NAYSAYERS AS WELL. >> THOSE WHO SAY NEGATIVE THINGS, YOU KNOW, I FEED OFF OF THAT, AND IT WILL NEVER MAKE ME OR BREAK ME. REPORTER: SANDERS ALL THE SAID TONIGHT THAT THAT $35,000 IN COURT RESTITUTION COSTS THAT HE OWED FROM HIS CONVICTION 23 YEARS AGO, HE SAID THAT'S NO SECRET AND THAT IT'S CLEARLY MENTIONED IN HIS PARDON PAPERWORK THAT'S BEEN SENT OFF TO HARRISBURG AT THIS TIME HE ALSO SAID THAT MONEY WAS UNJUSTLY CHARGED TO HIM BECAUSE

Elected McKeesport councilman fights to be sworn in

A newly elected McKeesport councilman has been barred from taking office because of a drug conviction from 23 years ago.